Cable-grip



(No Model.)

B. A. McLELLAN.

CABLE GRIP. Y No. 890,882. Patented'Oct. 9, 1888.

iii 1 8 J? '1' CT WITNESSES. INVENTOB wwfiwa yaw/6 Alf/1111 171 Y NTTE STATES PATENT O FICE.

ROBERT A. MCLELLAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE-GRIP.

SPE CIPICATION ionning part of Letters Patent No. 390,882, dated October 9, 1888 (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. MoLELLAN, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in CableGrips, and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same.

My invention relates, generally, to the class ofgrips for connecting a car with an endless traveling cable, and it relates particularly to that class of grips in which through the movement of a lever pivoted or hinged jaws are made to close upon or release the cable, such grips being commonly known as center or bottom grips, in that they hang directly over the cable.

My invention consists in anovel hinge-connection for the jaws and in a novel connection for the lever-foot, as I shall fully describe.

. The general objects of these improvements are to simplify the grip and reduce the cost of manufacture and repairs. Particular objects are toavoid lost motion in the swinging of the jaws, to reduce the number of joints, and thereby have less liability to looseness and rattling, to avoid the use of an independent device for compensating for the wear of the dies, and to so connect the operating-lever that its power or leverage may be the same in any position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my grip. Fig. 2 is an edge view of same, the outside or fixed plate, B, being omitted.

A is a bar, usually called the 'beam, and forming part of the fixed hanging frame or mechanism by which the grip is carried. To this beam is firmly bolted at b the outside or guide plate, B,within which is fitted the vertically-movable inner plate, C, which carries at its top the quadrant D.

E E are the opposingjaws,having the usual dies, F F, for gripping the cable G, Fig. 2. These jaws are each provided near each end with lugs c, which incline upwardly and inwardly beside each other, and through them and through the outside fixed plate, B, passes the hinge-pintle H directly below and in the vertical plane of the inner or movable plate, C, Fig. 2. Eachjaw is also provided with a central outwardly-inclined lug, e. The bottom of the inner or movable plate, C, has connected with it rigidly or formedintegral with it, as here shownj the arms 0, which project outwardly and downwardly from each face of the plate, two being on each side, and the lugs dot the jaws fit between each pair of arms, Fig. 1. The lugs e areihinged to the arms 0 by pins 0, Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the main pivotal center of thejaws, as represented by the pintle H, and the pivotal centers of the connections of the jaws with the inner or movable plate, C, as represented by the pins 0, are all in the same horizontal plane,and it is this construction which renders my grip operative in practice,notwithstanding the rigid connection or the integral formation of the arms 0 with the plate C, instead of having them jointed or pivoted thereto,as links would be. This will be seen from the operatiomwhich is as follows: As the plate C moves up, the connection ofits arms 0 with the lugs e of the jaws separates said jaws about their hingepintle H, which is of course fixed, being seated in the outer fixed plate,B. As the plate C moves down,the jaws close together again. There are two reasons why this movement of the jaws is possible, though the arms 0 are'rigidly connected with or form part of plate C. 1n the first place the movement is small and in the secondplace the movement of the connections at 0 takes place at the extremities, so to speak, of the horizontal plane of the hinge-pintle, where said movementdeparts but little from a vertical plane,and this departure is permitted and provided for by the absence of mechanical accuracy in the practical construction of the joints at c. To make the drawings illustrate an operative device, I have shown the holes for the pivot-pins c 0 slightly larger than said pins,

so as to provide fora slight movement atthese points. WVhile it is desirable to show such a construction, yet in the actual construction of the device this enlargement would not be apparent, as the mechanical inaccuracy before mentioned would provide for the desired result. If thesejoints were above or below the horizontal plane of the hingepintle, their movement would be in an are at so great an angle to a vertical plane that the arms 0 would have to be hinged to the movable plate in order to permit the movement, and in this class of grips this is the construction. By my construction Isimplify the grip, make it less costly, and there are fewer joints to loosen and rattle and less lost motion.

To the upper end of the movable plateOare bolted the side plates, I, having a center hearing in which is pivoted the shaftj on the foot of the lever J. This lever is provided above with the usual pawhj, for engaging the quad rant D. Through the lever foot-shaftj is fitted a pin, K, which is located off center of said shaft. Over the projecting ends of this pin are fitted the links L, thelower ends of which are pivoted atZ to the fixed beam A. Nw,it will be seen that by reason of the eccentric or crank position of pin K with respect to the fulcrum center of the lever J the movement of the lever will raise or depress the movable plate O,acting through links L against the fixed beam,and the range of this movement is such that it can be effected to open or close the jaws, no matter at what inclination the lever may be,and there is no necessity, therefore, to provide separate mechanism for compensating for the wear of the dies in the jaws.

Having thus drscribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cable grip, opposing jaws and a fixed pintle on which they are hinged, in combination with a vertically-movable plate above the pintle having an arm or arms projecting from each side and rigidly connected or formed with said plate, and a hinge or pivot connection between said arms and the jaws, said conplate, and pins pivoting or hinging said arms to the diverging lugs of the jaws, said pins being on each side of and in the same horizontal plane with the fixed pintle, substantially as herein described.

3. In a cable-grip, a fixed plate, opposing jaws having upwardly-converging lugs and upwardly-diverging lugs, and a pintle passing through the fixed plate and the converging lugs of the jaws, whereby saidjaws are hinged, in combination with a vertically-movable plate above the pintle having an outwardly-projecting arm or arms from each side and rigidly connected or formed with said plate, and pins pivoting or hinging said arms to the diverginglngs of the jaws, said pins being on each side of and in, the same horizontal plane with the fixed pintle, substantially as herein described.

4. In a cable-grip, the fixed beam and plate secured thereto and the verticallymovable jaw-operating plate, in combination with the lever having a pivot-shaft in its foot seated in the head of the movable plate,the pin carried by the shaft and located eccentrieally therein, and the links connecting the pin with the fixed beam, substantially as herein described.

5. In a cablegrip, the fixed beam and plate secured thereto and the vertieally-1novable jaw-operating plate having a quadrant on its head, and side plates, in combination with the lever, with pawl for engaging the quadrant, said lever having a pivotshaft in its feet seated in the side plates of the movable plate, the pin carried by the shaft and located eccentrically therein, and the links connecting the pin with the fixed beam, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT A. McLELLAN.

\Vitnesses:

S. H. Nourzsn, J. H. BLoon. 

